N.C. State announced Friday that quarterback Pete Thomas will transfer to another school following his graduation in May. As a fifth-year graduate student, he will be able to play right away without sitting out a year under usual NCAA transfer rules.

The only surprise in Friday’s announcement is that it took this long to become official.

Thomas was brought in from Colorado State in 2011 to be Mike Glennon’s heir apparent in former coach Tom O’Brien’s pro style offense. But he quickly became the odd man out of the Wolfpack’s quarterback situation when O’Brien’s replacement Dave Doeren installed a spread offense and signed two other transfers to run it.

With Florida transfer Jacoby Brissett slated to start next season and Doeren having signed spread quarterback Jalan McClendon on Wednesday, it became clear that Thomas was not in the Wolfpack’s plans for 2014.

“Pete has been a great teammate and a very positive representative of N.C. State athletics,” Doeren said of Thomas, a native of El Cajon, Calif., who started 21 games at Colorado State before coming the N.C. State and will leave with a degree in communications.

“I have really enjoyed coaching him and want him to be successful as a player and in life. Going forward I will do anything I can to help him through his transition as a transfer. He will be missed as a teammate, player and person in our locker room.”